winter is magic
by Moves of a dreamer
Summary: Celaena Sardothian's parents died when she was 11, and she spent years living alone. one winter, she can no longer afford her online schooling and is forced to go to rifthold high. Christmas is right around the corner, and the last thing she needs while adapting to a new school is a holiday that reminds her of her family. But the academic legend,Chaol Westfall, might change that.
1. Chapter 1

Winter Is Magic

 **it was a snowy day in Ohio. Celaena couldn't fathom why she had to come to school today. her school was the only one open, and she was not happy about it. When she heard it was snowing she had been hoping to stay in bed all day. The announcement on the news had killed that hope rather quickly when she heard that her school was the only one that would stay open.** _ **stupid principal Havilliared.**_ **Celaena thought as she walked down the snow covered street. Christmas music played on the radio of a car driving by and she had to physically try not to roll her eyes. She didn't have anything against the holliday. It just annoyed her that people would play carols all season long and ruin the special feeling it brought on Christmas day. When she was a little girl, she loved hearing the music play all season long; but after her parents death, it made her favorite family memory less special. Celaena pulled herself out of her thoughts before crossing the street to rifthold high school. She hated the place but it was all she could afford to pay for. Living alone and all that. As Celaena entered the school she saw a group of what appeared to be popular kids standing in front of the door. She didn't know their names but she knew was of them was a Havilliard from gossip she heard around the school. She did her best to stay away from these groups over the past month that she had been at this dreadful school. she knew from previous experience that those people couldn't be trusted. " Dorian, Chaol. look at that horrific sweater she has! It must be so hard shopping for clothes at goodwill". Celaena tried to fight the tears and much to her relief she succeeded. "don't be rude, Kaltain. you don't gossip about someone unless they're out of earshot. then it's just called bullying" a raven haired boy with blue eyes said.** _ **well that's the stupidest thing i've ever heard. it's bullying either way.**_ **Celaena thought as she continued to walk down the hallway to her locker. "you're a dimwit, Dorian. It's no different no matter how she says it". that voice she knew. Chaol Westfall. Captain of the football team, honors student, highest GPA in the entire school Chaol. how someone could play sports and maintain his grades she would never understand. Celaena continued on to her locker but stopped when she heard footsteps. Celaena turned slightly to see the captain of the football team trailing her. realizing they apparently weren't done teasing her she took on a full sprint. Chaol's footsteps sounded faster in her ears and she picked up her pace. " hey! don't you want this back!". Celaena froze to see him breathing hard with her student ID clutched firmly in his strong hand. she felt heat rising to her face. she had dropped her Id and he was simply trying to return it.** _ **You shouldn't trust them.**_ **She told herself. Celaena approached him slowly and took her ID by the lanyard. " I apologize for Kaltains behavior" he said with a pitying look. Celaena's eyes darkened. "She's right, it's an ugly sweater. and I don't need anyone pitying me because of my clothes" she said with as much control as she could muster. He simply smiled at her. " I wasn't pitying you. I was writing what I believed to be a wrong doing" he said gently. Celaena's eyes watered. no one had showed her this much kindness since her parents died. It couldn't be real. he was lying. he had to be. "thanks" she mumbled, before continuing to her locker. it took her a full ten steps to realize he was still walking with her. "What are you doing" she asked in confusion. he laughed at her quietly. as if she was anything worth laughing at. "i'm walking you to your locker of course, and making sure nobody harrasses you about that sweater" he had added the last part quietly but she had still heard him. "what!" she almost shrieked. his face showed no hint of emotion as he looked at her. she was almost scarred. almost. "I don't like it when people are mistreated" he said seriously. her eyes narrowed. "what if i deserve it. what if i did something horrible and this is my way of paying for it?" she asked. "Did you do something horrible?" he asked. expecting her to say no. "yes, it's my fault they're dead" she whispered before running out of the hallway and into the girl's locker room. he couldn't follow her in there. he couldn't see her cry. Celaena sat down on a bench and pulled her knees up to her chest, and for the first time since her parents left her life, she cried. Celaena Sardothien cried.**

 **A/N: OK guys, i know it's way too early for a christmas fic but i just had this idea hit me and i had to make it a story. i'll update chapter 2 as soon as possible!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Winter Is Magic Chapter 2**

 **Chaol stood in the hallway, unsure of what to do. he hadn't meant to upset her. what had she meant by '** _it's my fault they're dead'_ **he wondered as he stood there in the hallway. Maybe this girl needed someone more than he thought. Before heading to his next class, he decided that he was going to help this girl. First he would need to learn her name. And he knew just the person to ask.**

 **Celaena went home after she left the locker room. She didn't want to deal with anyone else today. she had walked all the way to school through the bitter cold, only to chicken out and go home. She could have handled the situation much better had it not been her mother's favorite time of the year. She stepped into her apartment and dropped her coat on the floor. She made herself a steaming cup of coffee and lit a fire in the small fireplace. her apartment was a one bedroom apartment with a livingroom smaller than the bedroom and a kitchen only big enough to fit one person comfortably. it was the only place she could afford to live in. She took a sip of her coffee, then another, she quickly finished the warm drink, not wanting it to go cold. Looking at the clock on her wall, Celaena realized it was only 9:00. She had quite a while before her part time job. And her apartment could use some decorating. Celaena let out a long sigh, grabbed her house key, and headed to the nearest dollar general she could find. as she walked down the snowy street. she opened the door to the small shop and picked up different decorations and stuffed them into the cart, before checking out and loading the items into a bag. by the time she had made it back to her apartment it was 9:30. Celaena made quick work of decorating her apartment. it may have been small. but its appliances were more than up to date and her few pieces of furniture were fashionable. the place was rather cosy. that was how she liked it.**

 **It was 3:00, an hour before her part time job, and she was putting the finishing touches on a 4ft christmas tree. Celaena sat on her white carpet and admired her handywork, before putting on her apron and fuzzy winter coat. she locked her door on the way out of her apartment as she left for the diner down the street. Her mother was right. Decorating for christmas could cheer up anyone.**

" **please Dorian" Chaol pleaded as he followed his friend out of school. "why do want me to find this girl so badly?" Dorian asked, knowing his friend wouldn't stop asking. "because she needs my help, i could see it in her eyes" Chaol said. Dorian rolled his eyes. "calm down batman, just because my dad is the principal doesn't mean i have the passwords i need to hack into the school's website and find this girl." Dorian said. Chaol gave him a flatr look. "that's a blatant lie, and you know it" he said pointedly. Dorian sighed exasperatedly before giving his friend a wolfish grin. "fine, i'll help you find her, what's her name?" he asked. Chaol's eyes widened. "don't tell me you don't know her name" Dorian said before groaning. "well, her last name started with an S." Chaol said, giving a weak smile. Dorian narrowed his eyes before rolling them. "what did she look like?" ghe asked. "she had long, blonde hair, blue eyes, and pale skin. really pale skin" Chaol said. Dorian nodded before pulling out his laptop. "ill head to the library and see what i can find about her, and i'll give you a call if i find anything useful" Dorian said. Chaol smiled before nodding and heading out of the building. He would find her. he had no doubt about it.**

 **Celaena's shift ended at 5:00, giving her enough time to grab a pastry and run home before it became dark. when she arrived at her apartment, she grabbed a tub of leftover chicken soup and stuck it in the oven. the smell wafted through the small apartment giving a sense of comfort. Celaena was not looking forward to school tomorrow. She would have to get there early to avoid the group of teens that had been standing at the door this morning. the last thing she needed was to see that Kaltain girl again. after she finished her dinner and gingerbread pastry, she crawled into bed and let herself fall into a dreamless sleep.**

 _ding! ding! ding!_

 **Celaena awoke to the sound of her phone ringing. she groggily sat up and unlocked her phone to see it was 4:00 AM. "hello?" she said sleepily. "hey girl! sorry about calling you so early, i missed you so much that i couldn't help it". Celaena smiled when she heard the familiar voice. "It's fine, Nehemia." Celaena answered. "ive missed you too" she said. When Celaena moved to Ohio about a month ago her best friend had been heart broken. they had been doing the same online school program and would often meet for coffee while they did their studies. "when are you coming to visit" she asked. "well i was planning to come to Ohio for Christmas but i couldn't get a plane ticket so i'm going to have to wait until next semester" Nehemia said in disappointment. "i'm so sorry, Celaena" she said solemnly. "It's alright, Nehe." she said using her friends nickname in an attempt to cheer her up. "so how is rifthold?" Nehemia asked. "terrible" was Celaena's short reply. she heard Nehemia giggle slightly. "how have you been?" Celaena asked. "bored" Nehemiah answered. Celaena cracked a smile. "i bet, now that i'm not around to entertain you" she answered. Nehemia laughed before sighing. "well i should probably go, i have a paper due in four hours' she said. "well you better get started" Celaena chuckled. "Take care" she said. " you too" Celaena said before hanging up. she got up and pulled on a sweater and jeans before heading out the door. maybe she should have told Nehemia about her run in with Westfall yesterday. oh well, too late now.**

 **it was three in the morning and Chaol couldn't believe he had come to school this early. "ok, i spent all night trying to find this girl so it better be her!" Dorian said as pulled up a file on his laptop. Chaol couldn't suppress his smile. "that's her,alright" he said as he looked at the picture. "her name is Celaena Sardothian, parents died at age 11, lives alone in an apartment complex, transfered here about a month ago, and works at a diner, wow! you really know how to pick em'" dorian said sarcastically. "Celaena Sardothian" Chaol mumbled as he looked at her picture. "so what now?" Dorian asked as Chaol wrote her address on a piece of paper. "i'm gonna go visit her after school" he said as if was obvious. "well have fun stalking your juliet" Dorian said as he exited the library. Chaol pocketed the paper before walking towards the library door. He was going to find celaena, and he would be the friend she clearly needed.**

 **Celaena walked into the cafeteria as the lunch crowd filed in. she quickly grabbed a tray with a hamburger and fries before sitting down at an empty table. they were serving hot chocolate today and it wouldn't hurt to grab a cup. she got out of her chair and made her way over to grab one. after selecting a rather full cup, she started walking back to her seat. Chaol watched her every movement from across the cafeteria. he had seen her come in and decided not to approach her until later. he smiled when he saw her pick up a hot chocolate and walk back to her seat. he mentally noted that she liked the drink. he was about to grab his own lunch when he saw Kaltain approaching her. Celaena hadn't noticed her until she was tripping over the girl's foot and spilled her drink all over herself.** _well that's going to be uncomfortable on the walk home._ **she thought. Celaena didn't even bother to look up from her position on the floor as everyone laughed at her. she barely registered that there was someone standing in front of her. thinking it was Kaltain she grit her teeth and looked up expecting to see the smug face of the girl, only to be met with the worried eyes of….Chaol Westfall. no, this was worse than Kaltain, Celaena decided as the cafeteria immediately quieted. she watched as he kneeled down and removed his football team's jacket, then placed it over her small form.** _he was covering the stain._ **she realized. he smirked and her stomach dropped.** _here comes the teasing._ **she thought but it never came. "you look much better in that than girls like Kaltain" he said. his smirk turning into a full grin. her eyes widened and she was sure that everyone's jaw dropped. including** _ **Kaltain's.**_ " **thanks" Celaena mumbled. "would you like me to accompany you to the nurse?" he asked.** _accompany? what was this? the 16th century?_ **Celaena was definitely not used to people talking so old school, but she decided she liked the way he talked. "sure" she said. she was loving the look on Kaltains face right now and she didn't want to end the fun just yet. Chaol stood and she followed him out of the cafeteria. she had to hide her smile when he put his arm around her shoulders. maybe Westfall wasn't so bad after all.**


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: I'd like to thank the guest reviewer for their constructive criticism. I actually didn't realize i had forgotten to go back and capitalize most of my sentences. Also i was planning to give Celaena more of an OC character in the beginning and slowly bring her natural personality back. And about Nehemia being a foreign exchange student, I thought about that but I decided that it has been used before and I wanted to do something new with this story. And as for chaol not being to friendly with Celana, I couldn't quite make it work with the story so he's gonna be a little OC for the beginning. Alrighty guys, enjoy!

 **Winter Is Magic Chapter 3**

 **Chaol and Celaena walked down the hallway towards the nurses office. Mrs. haviliard was a nice woman who was rather friendly with the students. But despite the woman's nice personality, Celaena wasnt to happy about being left alone with the woman while Chaol went to grab them both lunch before the cafeteria closed. "That Kaltain girl is always cuasing this kind of troublr" Mrs. Haviliard said ans she handed Celaena a tub of aloe for the burn she recieved from her hot drink. "I'm sorry to be such a bother" Celaena said as she rubbed the ointment over her torso. "Its fine, darling. I really dont mind having a visitor every now and then" the woman answered. Celaena sat on the counter while she waited for Chaol to bring their lunches. When he returned he had brought someone with him. A boy their age with raven hair and blue eyes walked next to Chaol carrying a tray with hot chocolate while Chaol had** _**three**_ **trays of food.** _oh no, don't tell me he's staying too._ **Celaena thought. "hey, my name is Dorian, i'll be joining you for lunch today" he said giving her a flirtatious smile. Celaena's eyes narrowed. "you're one of those idiots from yesterday" she deadpanned. Chaol snorted and Dorian smiled sheepishly. "Yeah, sorry about that" he said. Chaol handed her lunch tray while Dorian gave her a fresh cup of hot chocolate. "Want some, mom" Dorian asked as he held a cup out to Mrs. Haviliard. "Mom?" Celaena said in surprise. "You're a Havilliard?" she asked. Dorian ginned. "The eldest Havilliard to exact" " do you have any siblings,Sardothien?". Chaol would have slapped Dorian had his mother not been sitting at the computer. Celaena's face vivibly fell and Dorian realized his mistake. "Wait, no i'm sorry, I forgot about your…..family….situation" he finished lamely. Both boys gulped as her eyes widened. "How do you know about that" she said through her teeth. Mrs Havilliard sensed what was about to happen and quietly left her office.** _the kids can sort this out on their own._ **She thought as she shut the door. Dorian and Chaol gave each other fearful glances before Chaol decided to speak up. "Well, um, I asked Dorian to find your file in the school website and, yeah" he said awkwardly. "Had i known what had happened i never would have pryed. I'm sorry,I just wanted to make sure you had a friend" Chaol said. Celaena smiled bitterly. " I understand now. i'm the friendless new girl and you're the honors student who goes around making sure the newbies feel welcome. Not that I don't think you'd be a nice friend, but that's not the kind of friendship I want." she said as she stood up and walked towards the door. "Celaena wait, that's not what intended at all. You're unusual and not like those girls that follow Kaltain everywhere. you don't immediately take kindness for flirting, i can tell you're sad and i want to help!" he said. "No thanks" she said lightly before walking to her next class. "Well that was intense" Dorian said. "just great! what now?" Chaol said frustratedly. You still have her address don't you?" Dorian asked. Chaol's eyes widened in realization. "Yeah" he said grinning."I do"**

 **Celaena didn't pay any attention to the odd looks she got in class. Luckily she didn't have any classes with Chaol and wouldn't have to see him again. For now. How she was going to avoid him for the rest of the school year, she didn't know. She couldn't believe she actually thought he wanted to be friends out of free will and not because of some perfect boy reputation he wanted to hold up. She left the school as quickly as she could after the last bell. she would never be too quick to trust ever again. As Celaena walked down the sidewalk she lifted her face to the sky and let the snowflakes fall on her nose. She couldn't feel the could, but she assumed that was because she was too numb to feel anything anymore. She hurried up the steps to her apartment on the second floor and pulled out her keys to unlock the door. It was only then she realized she hadn't felt the cold because of the large, rifthold high, football team jacket that she had forgotten he lent her. Despite what had happened today, she couldn't bring herself to take it off. Even after she had started on her homework with a cup of hot coffee.**

 **Celaena woke to the sound of light knoking on her door. She hadn't realized she had fallen asleep. She quickly made her way to the door and pulled it open only to find the last person she wanted to see. "If you think i'm giving up, you have another thing coming" Chaol said with a grin. Celaena grit her teeth and repeatedly reminded herself that it would be rude to slam the door in his face. " I thought i made it clear i didn't want your pity" she said. her voice sounded much more pitiful out loud than it did in her head. he simply smiled and leaned against the door frame. "Are you gonna invite me in?" Chaol asked with amusement in his voice.** _i'm going to let you freeze. maybe then i won't have to look at the stupid smirk on your face._ **Sometimes Celaena really wished she had the guts to voice her thoughts. "come on in" she said quietlty as she moved out of his way. she watched as he looked around her decorated apartment. "its…." he started. "Small, I know. I live here" she said blandly. "I was going to say overly festive, but yes, it is rather small" he said sheepishly. Celaena stood there awekwardly as he looked around her small apartment. "So, i'm guessing you came by because you wanted your jacket" she said lamely. Chaol chuckled and ruffled her hair. "Actually you can keep it, football season is over anyway and I'll be getting a new one next season" he said sweetly. Celaena mentally snorted. "what exactly would I do with a teenage boy's jacket? It doesn't exactly fit" she pointed out. He simply smiled even wider. "You could keep it so that when you're lonely, you'll have a part of me with you" he said teasingly as if he expected her to blush. "That was the cheesiest line i've heard since I was in sixth grade" she said. Chaol luaghed and despite herself, Celaena decided she liked the sound. " Contrary to what you think the reason i'm here is, I wanted to ask if you had eaten dinner yet" he said, not bothering to hide his grin. Celaena's eyes widened. "A...are you… asking me on….a date?" she asked disbelievingly. "of course not! I have to get to know you as a friend before i think about something like that" he said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Celaena sighed. "Listen, I appreciate you trying, but I don't want a pity friend, I have a best friend, yes she lives a couple states away but that's enough for me" she said calmly. "I prefer to be left on my own, I don't have many good experiences with people" she said. Chaol stood there dumbfounded. "It's not out of pity. I want to be your friend because I care. I don't know why I do, but ever since Kaltain teased you in the hallway that day, I knew there was something special about you. let me prove to you that I want to be friends with you, and not because I pity you or want other people to think i'm some heroic prince charming." Celaena didn't know what to say. "Fine, i don't understand why you're so persistent about, but i'll give you one chance, Westfall" she said only to find herself in a bone crushing hug. "What are you doing?" Celaena asked in confusion. "friends hug each other" he answered simply. he pulled away grinning. "come on, let's go get something to eat" he said, as he pulled her out the door. Celaena didn't protest and simply followed him to the bottom of the stairs. her eyes widened when she saw the black mustang parked in the parking lot reserved for the apartment complex. "I forgot to mention, my family just so happens to own a huge company, so i guess you could say i'm a rich kid" he said, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment. Celaena gaped at the car, as he walked to the passenger side and opened the door for her. "are you gonna get in or do i have to carry you?" he asked teasingly. Celaena slowly approached the car before getting into the passenger seat. Chaol closed the door before walking over to the driver's seat. "So, what's your favorite restaurant?" he asked as he started the engine. "I haven't actually eaten out since I moved here" she answered in embarrassment. "Okay, how about Pete's?" he asked. "What's that?" Celaena asked curiously. "Its a cafe, they always overdo their Christmas decorating but I find it rather cosy" he said. A cafe did sound rather nice to Celaena. "Petes it is!" she said smiling**


	4. Chapter 4

**Winter Is Magic Chapter 4**

 **Chaol opened the door to Pete's while Celaena followed behind him. They chose a table next to the window that was decorated for Christmas and gave them a perfect view of the snow covered town. Bright lights decorated the trees that had lost their leaves. Celaena smiled at the sight. "Can I get you two something" a waitress said as she approached the table. Celaena opened her menu and couldn't help the grin that came over her face. "I'll have a gingerbread latte, with a slice of gingerbread coffee cake" she said, unable to hide her excitement. Chaol chuckled lightly. "And i'll have a coffee, no sugar, and a turkey sandwich" he said politely. "Alright, i'll be out with that in a few minutes" the waitress said before walking back to the kitchen. "So you really like gingerbread , huh?" Chaol said with a grin. Celaena looked away sheepishly. "It's my favorite" she said. "Well, now you know something about me so tell me something about you" Celaena said. Chaol sighed. "Alright, since I know about your family issue I might as well tell you mine. As you probably know, I'm captain of the football team and I'm hoping to get a scholarship in sports. But, my dad wants me to be involved in politics"He said. Celaena wrinkled her nose. "who in their right mind gets involved in politics these days?" she asked. "Exactly, but I almost agreed to it. My dad said a bunch of nonsense about disowning me as his son if I didn't agree to it. And he would have done it if my mother hadn't had a say in it" he said. "That's terrible" Celaena whisperd. "It's not that bad, he avoids me most of the time, so I don't have to put up with him" he said with a grin. The two talked about likes and dislikes until their food was served. "How can you not absolutely love Imagine Dragons, They're the best!" Celaena said. Chaol laughed as she dug into her coffee cake. "It's not as if i don't like them, i've just never bothered to look them up" he said with a small chuckle. "Look them up, TONIGHT." Celaena said with her mouth full of cake, making Chaol laugh. "What's so funny" Celaena asked after swallowing her cake. "you are, you're hilarious." he said smiling. Celaena felt blood rush to her face.** _No don't blush you idiot, he just wants to be your friend._

 **Celaena looked at Cholo's smiling face and couldn't help her next thought.** _or does he?_ **she thought. "I'll make you a deal, if I look up Imagine dragons, you have to read Ranger's Apprentice" he said with a grin. "Deal!" Celaena exclaimed. Chaol chuckled lightly before looking at his watch. "I should probably take you home now, It's getting late" he said. Celaena nodded and grabbed what remained of her coffee. The two of them got into the car and Chaol drove to her apartment. After they had climbed the stairs,Celaena unlocked her door and was about to step inside when Chaol's voice stopped her. "Have lunch with me and my friends tomorrow" he said. Celaena looked at him with wide eyes. "Please" he added.  
** " **Sure" she said lightly before entering her apartment. "goodnight,Chaol" she said. "Goodnight" he replied before she closed the door. Chaol smiled and headed for the stairs. He would drive her to school tomorrow. It had been snowing the past two days and he would feel bad if she were to catch a cold.**

 **Celaena walked into her apartment and sat in her soft armchair. She pulled out her flip phone and dialed the number she had practically memorized by heart. "Hello". "Hey Nehemia, I think I made a friend today" Celaena said. Nehemiah was silent. "Can you trust this person? Are you sure they aren't in league with** _ **him?"**_ **She asked. Celaena smiled bitterly. "He's probably never even heard the name Arobynn Hamel" Celaena said. "Be careful, Aelin" Nehemiah said. Celaena grit her teeth. "Please never use that name" Celaena whispered. "I apologize" Nehemiah added. "i didn't mean to upset you" she said. " I know, It's okay" Celaena said. Nehemia and Celaena said their goodbye's before she took a hot shower then got into bed. She could trust Chaol. He wasn't in link with Arobynn Hamel. But he couldn't find out about him. For his own good. Celaena fell asleep quickly that night. she had to get up for school tomorrow and definitely didn't want to oversleep. As she was drifting off to sleep she heard a ding on her phone but decided she would check it in the morning.**

 **Celaena awoke to knocking on her door. Hadn't the same thing happened last night. She quickly slipped into her clothes for school before grabbing her things and heading to the door. "How did I know you were going to be here" she said in exasperation but couldn't hold back her smile. "I thought it would be a bad idea for you to walk to school in the snow for the third time this week" he said smiling "Thanks" she said. "Just let me grab my phone" she said, realizing she had left it on her nightstand. Celaena picked up her flip phone and remembered the message she had received last night. she opened her phone to find something that made her stop in her tracks. It took all her self control not to drop her phone. It was an unknown number and all the message said was "** _ **so youve been hiding in Ohio"**_ **Celaena didnt have to think hard to know who had sent it. She had thought she had escaped. Chaol. She couldn't keep hanging around him. She could put him in danger. "Celaena, is everything okay?" she heard Chaol yell from the door. Celaena had to think fast. She couldn't be seen near Chaol, she had to get him to leave. Then she would need to leave. "Celaena?". Celaena jumped when she heard him right behind him. "Chaol, i'm not feeling too well, I think i should just stay home today" Celaena said. It wasn't a complete lie. She did feel like she was about to puke, just not for the seasons he would think. "Oh, do you need anything?" he asked, clearly worried. "No, I just need to take it easy for now, i… i think i'm going to be sick" she said before rushing to the bathroom. she emptied the contents of her stomach into the sink before heading back into the living room where she found him on the couch. "are you sure you don't want me to stay with you?" Chaol asked. Celaena put on her best fake smile before answering him. "no, i'll be alright" she said. Chaol frowned but nodded before getting up and walking towards her. he handed her a folded piece of paper. "call me if you need** _ **anything"**_ **he said before saying goodbye and walking out the door. Celaena sighed before going into her bedroom and started packing. She would go visit Nehemia for a few weeks, then she would come back to Ohio and….. and make up some absurd story to tell Chaol. If he hadn't forgotten about her. That would be much easier but there was little chance of that happening. Celaena grabbed her suitcase, phone and keys. she was halfway to the airport when she realized something. Arobynn could be tracking her from her phone. Without a second thought she tossed it into the sewer, before running to the airport. The only person who had her phone number was Nehemia, and she had her number memorized. She suddenly remembered Chaol's phone number was in her pocket. She would have to call him once she arrived in Maine and could buy a new phone. When she arrived at the airport she immediately went to the ATM and withdrew everything in her account before snapping her debit card in half and throwing it into the airport's fireplace. She bought a ticket and boarded her plane. She knew this was going to be a long flight.**

 **Chaol couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong with Celaena. she had looked as if she saw a ghost. He drove straight to her apartment after school. when he came to her door he knocked. there was no answer. HE tried opening the door and found that she hadn't locked it. It had taken him a quick sweep of the apartment to confirm she wasn't there. Chaol couldn't help the feeling of dread that formed in his gut. He should have stayed with her. Something wasn't right.**


End file.
